x amount of words
by PwnedByPineapple
Summary: In which two golden-eyed strangers arrive in Ikebukuro, Celty has a memory, and the past is usually best avoided. Shinra/Celty. Post-FMA original anime. Spoilers for FMA: Conqueror of Shamballa.


**Title:** x amount of words  
><strong>Author:<strong> PwnedByPineapple  
><strong>Summary:<strong> _In which two golden-eyed strangers arrive in Ikebukuro, Celty has a memory, and the past is usually best avoided. Shinra/Celty. Post-anime for the original FMA series. Spoilers for FMA: Conqueror of Shamballa.  
><em>**Rating/Warning(s):** T; none  
><strong>Notes:<strong> Follows the DRRR anime and takes place fairly early on in the series, so no spoilers. Also, I apologize in advance for any butchering of Irish mythology; the reason is either a lack of resources or artistic liberties taken by my own imagination. Finally, I do plan to continue this at a later date, when I have time and motivation.

**Disclaimer: This fangirl owns nothing.**

* * *

><p><em>it's all of a sudden that she's recalling a memory, and it's all because of a glimpse of two golden-haired strangers on the streets of Ikebukuro.<em>

* * *

><p>All these years they'd been on Earth, and not once had they visited Japan. Alphonse could hardly justify it. His eyes lingered on each aspect of the surrounding city, alight with the intellectual hunger of a scholar; it was only a preliminary stop, halfheartedly chasing a rumor, but he couldn't help his excitement. It was something different, something new... a flood of impressions unloaded onto senses dulled by endless lifeless life, and it made him feel <em>alive<em>.

Alive, such as he had not felt in so long. Like a drug, the city intoxicated him. And he wasn't the only one; Alphonse had been with Edward too long, understanding his brother's thoughts as well as his own, and their shared exhilaration made even the most mundane actions seem like a breath of fresh air in this place. Alphonse's eyes were anywhere but in front of him as he and Edward made their way down Ikebukuro's sidewalks and narrow streets. He was studying everything, trying to take it all in far too fast, and so he failed to notice what was right in front of him.

The tall man dressed as a bartender seemed to be lost in thought of his own, and he and Alphonse collided headfirst, accompanied by much startled grunting and stumbling. "Oi!" said Edward indignantly, steadying Alphonse as the younger Elric blinked rapidly and attempted to reassert control over his wandering mind. It wasn't like him to be _that_ distracted, but neither was he used to taking quite so much interest in the life around him... at least, not anymore. As Edward demanded to know if he was alright, Alphonse gently brushed aside his brother's concern and tried to apologize.

The tall man looked rather thunderous, which somewhat dampened Alphonse's apologetic endeavor. "Watch where you're going," was all the man said, practically growling it out, before returning a cigarette to his lips and attempting to stalk off.

Edward blocked his way, glaring.

"C'mon, Ed, leave it," Alphonse implored, tugging at his brother's arm, but to no avail.

"Hey," Edward said, his growl a rival to the man whose path he was obstructing. "_You_ walked into him, _too_, so apologize."

To Alphonse's alarm, the man was quite obviously incensed at being blockaded. "I'm _not in the mood_, kid," he spat out, sunlight glinting off his blond hair and sunglasses, adding the final touch to his overall impressive and intimidating air. "_Move_, if you know what's good for you."

There were several unfortunate factors and an inaccuracy in those statements that Alphonse knew would set his brother off, but the damage had been done at the moment of the collision. You'd think that after so long, some maturity would have been gained, and it _had_, but in some ways, Edward would never change. Not to mention the painfully obvious fact that, after so much searching, Ed was in need of some sort of physical outlet for his frustration - preferably a living punching bag, and the other man wasn't helping matters with his attitude.

Should this confrontation progress down the same path, Alphonse did _not_ want to see its outcome.

Edward's eyes flashed. "You're going to _threaten_ me?" he asked, a dangerous edge to his voice. "After you nearly ran over my brother? _I'm_ not moving until _you_ apologize!"

What happened next was quite interesting - at least to Alphonse, who did not come from the similar psychological mindset of the other two. The tall man seemed to lose most of his belligerence, and his momentary glance, directed at Alphonse, was impossible to read behind the shades. "Brother?" he asked.

"Yeah," Edward said heatedly. "And no one runs into my brother without saying sorry!"

The other man shrugged. "Oh," he said. "Sorry, then. Didn't mean to walk into you."

"It's fine," said Alphonse in some relief.

And like that, the tension deflated. Both Edward and the tall man took a step back and exchanged a nod of respect, and Alphonse was left to gaze between them with eyebrows raised, not sure if he should be amused or exasperated or perhaps both.

The man lowered his cigarette, his manner questioning. "Name's Shizuo," he said shortly. "You German or something?"

"Nice catch," Edward replied. "I'm Edward."

"Alphonse," the younger Elric offered, intrigued. After such a long time and having traveled countless miles, he and Edward no longer had what could be described as a definable accent, but there were still traces of their original, deeply rooted accent in their speech; few people picked up on that, however.

"Your Japanese is flawless," Shizuo observed.

"We've had a long time to practice," Alphonse said, and there was more truth in that statement than anyone could have ever guessed.

Shizuo nodded, still rather expressionless, yet thoughtful. "You new to Ikebukuro?"

"That obvious, huh?"

"If you weren't, you wouldn't go picking fights with me," Shizuo said dryly.

Alphonse smiled as Edward flushed slightly, scowling at the ground. "Yeah, well," the older Elric said defensively, "I don't appreciate people pushing my brother around."

"Well, be careful. This isn't a safe place." Shizuo gave a little wave and walked past them, returning his cigarette to his mouth and shoving hands into pockets. His next words were tossed casually over his shoulder as he passed, gruff around the cigarette. "If anyone gives you trouble, just mention my name. They'll probably run screaming in terror."

He was leaving without so much as an actual goodbye, and Alphonse shook his head, reminded of a certain _someone_. "Awfully nice of you," Edward called, turning to watch the departing stranger.

Shizuo paused and glanced over his shoulder. "I've got a little brother, too," was all he said before resuming his walk.

Even after such a brief encounter, Alphonse couldn't help but smile at the similarities, particularly when Edward snorted his approval. The older Elric playfully reached out to punch Alphonse on the arm and suggested they continue, to which Alphonse readily agreed. They'd only taken a few steps, however, when the younger Elric was tempted to hit himself, recalling their reason for being there in the first place. "Hey, Ed!" he said. "We didn't ask him about the dullahan!"

Edward's eyes widened, and he brought a hand to his forehead in frustration, spinning around. "Dammit! Hey! Wait, what was his name? Shizuo!"

But the tall man was already far down the street, nearly concealed by the crowd of pedestrians between them, and Edward gave up a moment later, sighing. "Ah, I don't want to bother the guy anymore." He shrugged. "We're better off asking some local kids. They're more likely to keep up with crazy rumors."

Alphonse nodded, and with unspoken consent, they continued their long, tiring search, though the city was still new enough that Alphonse was once again filled with that same sort of mental intoxication. He felt and saw and breathed it all in, reveling in that sensation of newness, but this time he was a little more careful in watching where he was going.

* * *

><p><em>the memory is startlingly vivid, not so fragmented as those in her consciousness without a head, and the first thing she recalls is gold - the same gold as their hair. it's a gold that burns brightly in her mind's eye, amid a darkness that slowly takes shape to form an underground cavern. but this is no ordinary cavern. it is magnificent in scope and design, crafted by the hands of those not human, and it becomes clear that it is akin to a throne room - and home to a sinister throne.<em>

_the gold belongs to the strangers, and it is not just their strange hair. they seem to blaze even in the center of such darkness; even surrounded by creatures like herself and darker, even with eyes of malice and contempt and cruel amusement on them, they burn. she remembers fascination, enthrallment with such beacons of life. hers is one of the few eyes of the Unseelie Court that is not mocking or hateful or prideful; instead, she is simply curious. it is not a healthy curiosity, but before she can properly analyze her own distantly remembered feelings, the memory takes greater shape._

_the strangers would be classified as young men by their fellows, yet to the fey, they are mere boys. however, the presence they possess is undeniable, much greater than that of mere men, and perhaps that is why they walk so fearlessly to the throne. they walk past the creatures of the night, things that humans name 'monsters', and never once do they show fear. never once do they even glance to the side. she recalls being hopelessly spellbound, mesmerized by these strange humans, and as they come to the foot of the great throne, she waits with bated breath to see what will happen next._

_the one on the throne, the Queen with black eyes, is also intrigued, and she smiles, a false feline smile of ivory teeth and calculations. "well, well," she says softly, "it has been long since any worthy mortals have entered this domain. i was not aware that humans even remembered us, save for old legends."_

_"you'd be surprised," says one of the strangers, very bluntly; the elder, she thinks. there is no formality in his voice, not even a hint of recognition of the great power he stands so casually before, and a ripple of anger disrupts the Court. the Queen, however, laughs._

_"so impertinent!" she says delightedly. "and refreshing. very well, mortals. you have earned my ear. what is it you seek?"_

_the strangers exchange a glance, then the younger speaks up, perhaps a tad more respectfully. she is particularly intrigued by this one, as there is something... different about his soul. "assistance," is his calm answer, as if he is hardly aware of the extraordinary nature of his words. "we need help in returning to our own world."_

* * *

><p>"The headless rider? I can tell you <em>all<em> about that!"

The kid, Kida Masaomi, had an expression of great enthusiasm and seemed eager to show off his knowledge to foreigners, practically bouncing on his feet by this point. His companion was quieter, but no less interested; Alphonse could feel that one studying them when he thought they weren't looking.

"The headless rider only appears at night," Masaomi told them, warming up to his role as storyteller and divulger of Important Information. "No one really knows why it's here or what it wants, but there are rumors, y'know... things you hear."

"_I_ could have told myself that," Edward said with an exasperated sigh. "Got some real info?"

"'Course I do!" Masaomi declared indignantly. "Like I said, you hear things."

"What things?" Alphonse gently prompted, as Edward scowled.

"Well, just... rumors." Masaomi frowned thoughtfully. "Truth is, no one really knows much about it. Like, there's a rumor that it's attacked some people before..."

Edward sighed again, interrupting. "Can you _at least_ confirm that it exists?"

"It does." Masaomi's friend... Mikado, Alphonse thought it was... spoke up suddenly and hesitated under the abrupt and full attention of the Elrics. "We, uh, saw it not that long ago. It was... amazing." A faraway look entered his eyes with this last statement, an expression Alphonse knew well. The kid pulled himself out of it with a little shake. "But... um, if you don't mind my asking, why? Are you looking for it?"

"Sort of," Alphonse answered reluctantly.

"Sweet!" Masaomi exclaimed, eyes shining. "Can we help?"

"You may _not_," Edward retorted. "This stuff's dangerous."

"So? We can handle it! Besides, you're new to town. I can show you around!"

As Edward and Masaomi began to argue over that claim, heedless of their loud voices, Alphonse chuckled to himself, and Mikado smiled. The quieter of the two boys then glanced at Alphonse hesitantly. "Uh... I have another question, if it's not a bother," he said.

"Go ahead."

"Where are you from? I've never seen people with golden eyes before."

Alphonse's face darkened for a moment, losing his pleasant expression for a melancholy one, and Mikado hastily tried to cover for his question. "I really didn't mean to cause any unwanted memories!" he said, rather panicky. "You don't have to answer!"

"No, that's okay. I know you didn't mean anything by it." Alphonse sighed, absently rubbing his neck. "We're from Germany, actually." A lie, of course, but close enough to the truth as well. "That doesn't have anything to do with our eyes, though. Just a genetic anomaly."

"Really?" Masaomi interrupted, veering from his cheerful argument with Edward to the conversation between Alphonse and Mikado. "Germany? That's so cool!"

"Yeah, well, it ain't that special," Edward said grumpily. "C'mon, Al, let's keep looking."

Alphonse did the thanking for both of them, carefully maneuvering around Masaomi's attempts to wheedle his way into their search and nodding farewell to the two boys after handing them a few yen. Before the Elrics could even take two steps, however, they found a large wall of person in their way, stepping out of the sushi shop from which Mikado and Masaomi had exited several minutes ago.

"You want to buy some sushi?" a large black man asked them in a distinctly Russian accent; it was an odd combination. He held a plate of the proffered delicacy and displayed it for their eyes to feast on. "It's good! I promise!"

"C'mon, Simon, why would they want sushi?" Masaomi piped up. "They're German!"

The brothers looked up at the tall man in some surprise, and then Edward grinned. "I don't much like sushi, but thanks for the offer," he said in perfect Russian.

Simon's eyes widened, and he broke out into a similar grin. "A speaker?" he asked in the same language. "One does not come across many in this country. Have you been to Russia?"

"We've spent some time there," Alphonse replied, smiling.

Simon seemed to delighted to find two speakers of his native tongue and insisted on offering them sushi at a reduced price or maybe even free. The brothers waved it away - even Edward wasn't attracted to the dish - and finally managed to excuse themselves.

"Thanks again!" Alphonse called over his shoulder to the boys and the Russian man.

As they departed, the younger Elric could hear Masaomi's next comment, meant only to be muttered to Mikado. "Germans who also speak Russian and Japanese? There's some fishy about those two."

The Elrics exchanged a wry smile. If only they knew.

* * *

><p><em>what happens next is so fragmented that she cannot follow, but the memory solidly picks up again at a later point - almost like a CD with a scratch. when it settles, they are no longer in the dark throne room, but in a place with features blurred by gaps in the memory. she faces the golden-haired strangers with her head tucked under her arm, and its grin is crooked and knowing. she recalls feelings of interest and triumph; she'd been chosen to "help" these humans, most likely because of her status as the harbinger of death. of all the Unseelie, she is the one with the most knowledge of crossing borders not meant to be breached by mortal endeavors, and she is glad of these abilities now, if only to be nearer to such interesting humans.<em>

_"it won't be easy," she tells them. "the consequences could very well be dire. you'd be better off asking the Seelie for help."_

_"tried that," the older one, Edward, grumbles. "they've got their heads too far up their asses to even consider something like this."_

_so vulgar a description, yet so appropriate. her head is still grinning, still mischievous. "have you ever considered that maybe they are wise for not trying?"_

_it's a pained glance that the two exchange, that makes even this callous past self of hers hesitate. "we think about it often," the younger, Alphonse, says quietly. "but there are some things that we shouldn't give up on."_

_"it's foolish."_

_"have you ever had your entire world ripped away from you? everything you knew, everyone you loved, and you unable to get back to them?" Edward's voice is both sharp and ragged for a moment, carrying a world of pain. "we're going to try this one last thing. we owe ourselves that much."_

_her laugh is delighted. "so stubborn and dedicated! i think i like you two." her grin widens. "very well. i will assist you. are you set on facing the dangers?"_

_"we are," the brothers say as one._

_she doesn't like what she recalls feeling in this memory, and she senses that her fascination with them will not be enough to protect them from her past nature. "then let's begin."_

* * *

><p>He came out of nowhere, strolling across the sidewalk into their path with a casual smirk on his face, and Alphonse instinctively did not trust him.<p>

"Well, well," said the young man, not losing his predatory smile. "I hear you're looking for a dullahan."

"What's it to you?" Edward demanded, and it was clear from his tone that he didn't trust this person on first sight, either. He took a defensive posture, stiffening and glaring, and the stranger chuckled.

"Oh, I may be able to help you, is all," he said innocently.

"Who are you?"

"Orihara Izaya, at your service." The man gave a mock bow, sweeping his arms. "I deal in information."

Alphonse met his brother's eyes, as openly suspicious as Alphonse internally felt. But it didn't mean they wouldn't listen to what this man had to say, not when he knew exactly what it was they'd come here for. "Spit it out, then," Edward snapped, looking back at the man with a scowl. "What do you know?"

"This isn't a _free_ business," Izaya answered, shaking his head in a falsely apologetic manner. "I'm not going to give you information for nothing."

"Name your price," Edward said brusquely.

"Of course, a small fee will be involved, but I was also thinking an exchange of information would do nicely." Izaya put on an innocent face that clearly made Edward naturally dislike him even more. "I'd like to know a little more about two such mysterious German strangers with golden eyes."

Edward scowled. "Then get lost," he said. "We're not telling you a _thing_."

Izaya pouted. "What a shame. Are you quite sure?"

"_Get lost_."

Izaya shook his head in disappointment. "Too bad. Well, if you change your minds, ask around for me. I'll hear about it." He turned around and gave a little wave over his shoulder. "People generally have trouble finding things that are _right under their noses_. You might need me soon."

The last statement resounded in Alphonse's mind and stayed there, and he frowned at the retreating figure of the information broker. "Ed," he said slowly. "You think-?"

"Yeah," Edward said darkly. "We're getting close."

* * *

><p>"C'mon, Celty, don't just stand there! You don't need to be so nervous! Don't girls like shopping?"<p>

Somewhere in the back of her mind, Celty was still wondering how Shinra had managed to talk her into going on a shopping trip with him, and she put it down to how irritatingly cute he could be at times. But her gaze had been drawn by something across the street, and she barely heard his words now. Instead, she was confused; something was tugging at her, a sense of familiarity that she couldn't describe, and she scrutinized the two golden-haired men on the sidewalk across from her.

Why did they seem so familiar? Had she seen them around the city before? Even if she had, there was no reason for what she was feeling now. They were strangers... right?

"Celty?" Shinra's concerned voice was an echo in the face of something that was starting to invade her consciousness. "Is everything alright?"

And all of a sudden, it hit her. It was a powerful memory such as she had not felt in a long time, and it passed over her in a few mere seconds. But those seconds were enough to freeze her rigid, and when she awoke from the memory soon after being consumed by it, Shinra was thoroughly alarmed.

"Celty!" he was saying anxiously. "Are you okay? Do you hurt anywhere?"

It was impossible. _Impossible._ Judging by the setting and the clothes the strangers in her memory had been wearing, the memory would have taken place well over fifty years ago. And yet here they were, in the present, in Ikebukuro... not looking a day older.

Shinra had caught hold of one of her hands. "Celty, say something!"

She gently extracted her hand and typed swiftly into her PDA. **Sorry, I'm fine. I need to talk to those men across the street!**

"What?" Shinra asked, startled, peering at her helmet with no less concern than before. "Why?"

She didn't answer and instead glanced briefly for vehicles before running across the street; Shinra, though utterly confused, was doggedly right behind her. Having made it to the other side, Celty confronted the two young men and typed rapidly.

**Excuse me. Are your names Edward and Alphonse?**

They were both completely startled, and the one she thought was Edward narrowed his eyes suspiciously as he looked her over. "How do you know that?"

**It's kind of hard to explain. Can we talk somewhere more private?**

The two exchanged a glance, and Alphonse muttered something to the other. Edward hesitated before casting Celty another mistrustful glance. "You're not another information dealer like that Izaya dude, are you?" he asked.

So they'd already met Izaya. **Not exactly.**

Celty knew the perfect place, and when Edward, after a little more silent consultation with his brother, nodded reluctantly, she beckoned for them to follow. The three men fell into step behind her, Shinra bemused but willing. "Sorry," she heard him say apologetically. "She can be kind of direct sometimes. I'm Shinra."

"I gathered that," Alphonse said in return. "I'm Alphonse. This is my brother, Edward."

They _had_ to be the same humans from the memory. They were completely similar, down to what she'd already seen of their personalities. _But how...?_

The area around the fountain, including its tiny accompanying park area, was fairly clear of pedestrians and runners, enough that they could talk without fear of eavesdroppers. Celty turned to face the two brothers, and Shinra wordlessly stepped to her side, looking very curious.

"Hold on," Edward said, raising a hand to forestall anyone else's speech; he was eyeing Celty with a hard glance. "Before anything... do you know about a headless rider or dullahan in this city?"

Shinra's eyes widened, and Celty was taken aback. She hesitated a moment before answering, but if they truly were the humans from her memory... and she was almost positive that they were... **I **_**am**_** the dullahan,** she typed.

This reaction this garnered was unexpected and highly alarming. Edward's expression became angered, though hardly surprised, and he moved suddenly, slipping a handgun out of his jacket and aiming it straight at her. Before Celty could so much as properly react, Shinra slid in front of her, protectively spreading his arms, and Alphonse grabbed his brother's arm. "Ed, not in public!"

"Have you forgotten what that monster did to us?" Edward demanded. "What if she tries something again?"

"Don't you _dare_ call her a monster!" Shinra said, bristling.

Celty was more confused than she'd been in a long time, but foremost she was touched. _Idiot,_ she thought and firmly laid a hand on Shinra's shoulder, pushing him behind her instead. She could take a bullet without any negative consequences, but the same could not be said of him, and she didn't think she could handle it if he was shot on her account. She typed as fast as she could. **I'm not denying anything, but neither do I know what you're talking about. I've lost my memories as well as my head.**

Edward stared at the message, his jaw drawn tight, but Alphonse was able to pull his arm down. "Let's just listen to her," the younger brother said in a reasonable tone of voice. "Violence isn't going to help us fix this."

With an angry snort, Edward shoved the gun back into his jacket and glanced furtively around to make sure that no one else had seen it. "Fine," he said. "I thought we'd have to wonder around half the country to find you, but since we didn't, I'll listen. But not here. There's no way we're discussing this in the middle of the city where anyone can listen in."

His 'case in point' arrived within a few seconds of this statement, in the form of clapping. "Very good!" a familiar voice said. "You're much smarter than I'd originally thought."

"Izaya?" Shinra said in some surprised. "Why are you in Ikebukuro?"

"Because there are interesting things going on!" The information broker had a habit of appearing from nowhere, because all Celty knew was that he was walking toward them with a broad grin on his face. "You can't expect me to miss this."

"So you really did know something," Edward said suspiciously. "Didn't I tell you to get lost?"

"I rarely do as I'm told." Izaya came to a halt and regarded them all with a raised eyebrow. "So... is there a fascinating story as to why two such strange foreigners know our resident dullahan?"

"It's none of your business," Edward growled.

"But Edo-kun..."

_"Don't give me pet names when you don't even know me!"_

"Oh, my... I think you may end up being as fun as Shizu-chan."

"Who the hell is-?"

It was times like these in which Celty wished dearly for a voice box. She typed furiously, then shoved her PDA into their midst with a rush of black smoke. **SHUT UP! Izaya... please don't interfere right now. This is important.**

Izaya's eyes were gleaming, and Celty got the feeling that he'd already gotten what he came for. "Of course. I'd never dream of imposing on a lady." He shook his head dramatically. "Well, boys, sorry to leave you like this, but..."

And then the enraged shout reverberated through the air, gaining volume with each passing moment. "IZAAAAAYAAA!"

"Well, shit," Izaya sighed eloquently, looking annoyed.

Edward and Alphonse were both staring, utterly nonplussed, as a park bench came flying out of the same nowhere from which Izaya had earlier emerged. The information broker lithely sidestepped the projectile, which crashed into the sidewalk several meters behind him. "What the-?" Edward muttered, as the tall, blonde man appeared, livid and dragging a street sign behind him. "Shizuo?"

"You've met him, too?" Shinra asked in surprise, voicing Celty's thoughts.

"You all know each other?" was Alphonse's bemused counter-question.

"Unfortunately."

Edward glanced back at his brother, not even bothering to lower his voice. "Why do I get the feeling we've stumbled across something we're going to regret?"

"Brother, we've been doing that since we were kids."

"Good point."

Meanwhile, Izaya had managed to retreat a surprisingly good distance, waving and smiling in a most obnoxious manner. "What good timing, Shizu-chan! I was just taking my leave!"

Shizuo bristled. "Come back here and fight, you coward!" he bellowed back.

"Not today! Although if you would like me to come back tomorrow..."

_"Stay the hell out of Ikebukuro!"_ As Izaya practically skipped away, laughing, Shizuo tossed the sign after him for good measure - though it fell short - and did not pursue. Instead, he strode up to Celty and the others, offering a curt nod and seemingly back to normal. Celty could hardly blame the looks on the brothers' faces. "Didn't expect to see you guys again."

"Yeah, uh... small world," Edward said, and his expression showed that he wasn't quite sure what to feel.

Shizuo was glancing between the brothers, Shinra, and Celty. "You know each other?"

"We just met, actually," said Shinra, still looking warily at Edward. "Rather unpleasantly."

Shizuo shook his head at the older Elric, frowning. "You gotta stop trying to pick fights with everyone, kid."

Unsurprisingly, Edward riled up at this, as Alphonse sighed. "Well, if everyone in this city wasn't so damn aggressive! And I'm not a kid!"

"Sure act like it."

Alphonse, who was proving to be the voice of reason between the two, intervened before things could escalate. "My brother is just frustrated," he explained. "The past years have been trying, and we may be about to fix things. It's enough to set anyone on edge." His apologetic smile, open and gentle, withered opposition, and Edward seemed to calm down.

Shizuo shrugged. "Well, don't let me keep you. I-" He cut off abruptly and frowned again, looking past them and peering more closely at one particular spot. "Huh," he said. "I think we're being spied on."

Everyone turned to follow his gaze, focusing on the clumps of bushes ringing the area, which started to rustle in earnest. There were several muffled protests and exclamations, and then two figures tumbled out from behind the bushes.

"You two!" Edward said, glaring. "Did you follow us?"

"I told him we shouldn't have," the dark-haired one said miserably as the other dragged him to his feet.

"Don't answer their questions, Mikado!" that one cried dramatically. "It's clear we have only one option." He glanced nervously between the five adults, taking a step back. "We need to run." He grabbed his friend's hand and pulled him away; as the two took off, Mikado called an apology over his shoulder, sounding truly contrite.

The adults stared after them, perhaps not as surprised by this as they should have been. "Want me to get them?" Shizuo offered at last, though not enthusiastically.

Celty was beginning to feel as if the situation had slipped out of control and decided that she needed to regain authority over at least some of it. **No,** she typed. **Leave them.**

Shizuo shrugged again. "Whatever you say. I'm going to make sure the flea is out of Ikebukuro. Later." He nodded in farewell and left just as abruptly as he'd come, hands in pockets.

There was a brief moment of silence following his departure, until Alphonse felt that he could not let the quiet continue. "Is everyone in Ikebukuro so... interesting?" he asked, feeling that it was a diplomatic choice of words.

"Not everyone," Shinra said with a casual shrug. "But most of us, yes." He took on a thoughtful air, almost like a scholar. "You know, that was so typical. I wonder if there's some correlation of factors in such a limited space that guarantees that the same things will happen every so often..."

**Not now,** Celty told him. **Save it for home. That would be the safest place to talk.**

The Elrics nodded at the latter statement; Shinra, however, didn't look pleased about bringing the brothers - or at least Edward - to his home... though Celty knew he wouldn't argue. "Fine," Shinra sighed, giving Edward yet another suspicious glance. "But no pulling anything," he said accusingly.

"Look, I'm sorry about the gun," Edward said, alternately looking sheepish, defensive, and lingeringly mistrustful. "I was just... surprised."

Shinra 'hmphed', but when Celty briefly placed a hand on his shoulder, he relented and led the way.

* * *

><p>Celty didn't spare details.<p>

She explained as best she could about her missing head and her search for it, even detailing her departure from Ireland, and then she related the memory she'd experienced when she saw the brothers. **But I don't know everything,** she finished. **It ended abruptly, and there were parts missing.**

Edward and Alphonse were silent after this, for quite some time, until Edward finally sighed and dropped his head, setting his cup of tea down on the small table. They were in the living room of Shinra and Celty's apartment, and the owners of said apartment were currently seated across from the brothers. The atmosphere was, understandably, tense.

That is, until Edward laughed. The sound lacked mirth; it was dry and almost disbelieving.

"The same dullahan," he muttered. "The very same. I didn't expect it to be this... easy. There's a catch, right? There has to be."

**So it _was_ you. Can you explain what happened? You really seemed to hate me when you found out who I was.**

"It was definitely us," Alphonse said heavily. "I guess you don't remember it, but you had a... method, of opening doorways between worlds, and you told us certain things about it that weren't entirely true. In short... you tricked us. And when we used this method... well, it backfired."

"How did it backfire?" Shinra asked when Alphonse fell silent. Celty noted the lack of lingering hostility, long since vanished in the face of such a story; in all likelihood, he was far too interested in the tale to even remember what took place earlier.

"Why do you think we haven't aged since then?" Alphonse asked flatly.

A thick silence descended upon the room, choking the atmosphere with even more tension than before. "It... made you immortal?" Shinra asked at last, frowning at the thought. "I mean, I can see how that would suck, but... immortality isn't usually considered a bad consequence."

"Depends on the circumstance," Edward muttered. "We didn't get back to our own world, and now there's no hope of eventually moving on. In short, stuck in this world. Forever."

The hands clutching Celty's PDA were trembling slightly. _I did that to them?_ She supposed it would be expected - Unseelie faeries were notoriously tricky, and she wouldn't have been much different - but still... she couldn't imagine herself doing such a thing now.

_Do I... do I really want to find my head? What if I go back to that?_

Her fingers darted across the device. **I'm so sorry.** She wished she could have conveyed just how much emotion was behind her words, but perhaps the agitated swirls of smoke drifting from her neck did the trick. **I would **_**never**_** do such a thing now, but I guess there's no excuse for my old self.**

The brothers once again glanced at each other, as they seemed prone to doing, and Alphonse shook head. "We can't really blame you, then," he said. "After all, we shouldn't have been attempting that sort of thing. But... humans never learn. We never learn. And... there are just some things... that you _don't_ give up on, no matter what." His fists, resting on his knees, were clenched tightly, and he frowned down at the ground as he spoke.

It was the same thing he'd said in Celty's memory. She wondered at that, wondered at him, briefly speculated on why his soul seemed different even from his brother's.

"So, wait," Shinra said, injecting a much-needed measure of informality into the cloying atmosphere. "There are still some things I don't get. You're really not from this world? And why exactly did you want to find Celty again?"

Edward sighed and took the lead now. "We're not of this world, it's true. We only ended up here thanks to some bad stuff that went down, and we got stuck here. At first... we were going to try to adjust. But when we got wind of some strange things happening in Ireland, we started to do some research, and we convinced ourselves to try one more time. That's how we found the fey. And, well..." here he glanced at Celty uncomfortably, "... after that, we eventually realized that we couldn't die. We were hoping to find some way of reversing whatever had been done to us, and Celty is our last hope."

Shinra's eyes were wide, but softened somewhat when Alphonse sighed and murmured, "We're tired of immortality." Celty, on the other hand, felt even worse. Bad enough she had tricked them, no matter how different she may have been now, but she was of no use to them without her memories.

**I'm sorry**, she said again and hated it. **I don't know much without my head.**

They looked only vaguely disappointed, and she wondered how jaded they must have been. "We thought so," Edward said with a shrug. "Guess we'll just have to keep looking."

**Wait!** Celty typed furiously. **I know my head is somewhere in this city, and I know it's close. Otherwise, I wouldn't be able to sense memories like the one today.** She paused, thinking. **If you stay in Ikebukuro, I **_**know**_** I'll be able to find my head eventually. It's better than nothing.** She had to find some way to help, even if it involved making them wait until she found a thing she wasn't even sure she wanted anymore. But if she _could_ find her head and if it did have memories related to reversing the immortality... then she had to try.

The brothers were equally surprised by the offer. "Well," Edward said, absently scratching his head, "... what do you think, Al?"

Alphonse appears to be contemplating the possibility. "I'm a little tired of traveling," he said at last, a small, hopeful note in his voice. "It'd be nice to settle down again, if only for a little while. Besides, she's right. It _is_ better than chasing some new possibility."

Edward nodded. "Sounds good," he said, obviously having been thinking along the same lines. "We'll help you look for your head, too."

Celty was pleased and started wondering how long it would take, where they'd stay until then. But Shinra surprised her by speaking up. "You're welcome to stay here," he said to the brothers. "At least for a little bit."

Celty knew how he felt about her head, and the generous action gained her approval. She wished she could smile, if only to show him that she appreciated it.

"If it's really not a bother," Alphonse said, looking concerned at the possibility of intruding.

"Of course not!" Shinra said, with a wide smile - the authenticity of which Celty had never been able to quite determine. "It'll be nice to have guests, for once."

"Thanks," the brothers said simultaneously, similar expressions of weary, careful optimism crossing their faces, and it left no doubt that they truly were brothers.

* * *

><p>Celty was surprised when Alphonse sought her out later.<p>

"Listen," he said, looking uncomfortable. "We're going to help you find your head, but... not just for us. I know what it's like to be missing such a huge part of yourself, and no one should have to go through that. So... we'll get your head back for you."

His words once again gave her pause, and she had a feeling that they related to why his soul seemed different. And it was really quite amazing, she reflected. Everything she had done to them, and he still wanted to help her. **Thank you. I don't deserve that.**

"Nonsense," Alphonse said firmly. "It's not like you're the same person anymore."

And he wasn't even aware that regaining her head could make her become that person again, bless him. Celty thought this arrangement wouldn't be so bad. She could definitely get along with these two.

Well...

"Wow! Your arm is really fake? Lemme see!"

"Don't grab it like that, idiot! Ack!"

Both Alphonse and Celty winced at the large crash and stream of curses that followed this. Celty's, **That's Shinra for you**, was simultaneous with Alphonse's, "That's Brother for you," and Alphonse smiled, chuckling.

... maybe not. But at least it would be interesting.


End file.
